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By Holly A. Magister, CPA, CFP®

In my last Blog Post, I shared with you my thoughts on the various interruptions that a business woman endures as she runs a business while attempting to keep a healthy balance between work and family. 

Interruptions may show up as a Distraction, a Detour, or in the most menacing form, as a Derailer.  Knowing the difference between these forms of interruptions is the first step to managing them effectively.

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By Wayne Rivers, CEO Family Business Institute

In 2001, Jim Collins, author of Built to Last, wrote the blockbuster business book Good to Great.  Many family business leaders rushed to embrace the concepts in Good to Great and translate its big business findings into their own family or closely held companies.  When we at The Family Business Institute read Good to Great, the item that leaped out at us as an incredibly vital tool is the seemingly simple concept of “get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off.”  The sad fact is that many family business owners spend more time researching the purchase of a new copy machine or planning their next fishing trip, than they invest in increasing the quality of their talent pools.

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By Holly A. Magister, CPA, CFP®

Interruptions are normal for every successful women entrepreneur.  In fact, if you are not interrupted several times before you reach for your second cup of coffee each morning, I would bet you may wonder if your email or cell phone service is not working…   Yes, I am guilty of expecting to be interrupted and wondering what’s wrong when I am not!

In my work with clients over the past few months, I have noticed a few of them have been dealing with an unusual amount of interruptions and some of these folks have struggled to recognize and properly deal with the different forms of interruptions.  In this week’s blog, I am addressing the basics.  Do you know the difference between a Distraction a Detour and a Derailer?

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By Holly A. Magister, CPA, CFP®

Over the past few weeks, I have been sharing my thoughts through my blog post about what is needed to survive (and thrive!) in the troubled waters we have all been enduring as women entrepreneurs.  I have heard from many of our blog readers that the messages suggesting that they find courage, draw from their resources, eliminate the unnecessary, and look for the humor resonated.  Each week, I would hear from you—thank you!  What I found striking were the number of readers who found the last blog about finding opportunities to laugh especially meaningful to them. 

Just as I was sitting down to draft this blog post, I received an email from a dear friend of mine.  His name is George and he is at least as old as my father.  He has a Blackberry and more contacts than any person I know.  He sent this story to me about a woman named Rose.

I want to share it with you for two reasons:  First, I truly believe laughter is the key regardless of how we define and pursue success.  And second, this story about a woman named Rose was sent to me from my elderly friend George—they both remind me that we are never too old…

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By Holly A. Magister, CPA, CFP®

Recently I took my nine year old daughter and a carload of her friends to our town's Volunteer Fireman's Carnival for an evening of ferris wheels, funnel cakes, and laughter--of course!  It was a Friday night after a long week.  Truly, I would have benefited from a simple dinner at home to unwind from the week.  Sound familiar?  However, I intuitively knew that the laughter of those children was most important and desperately needed...so off we went.
 
As the girls were getting out of the car, they caught sight of the ferris wheel in the distance and the excitement erupted into chaotic squeals, giggles and laughter.  I found myself feeling a bit nervous for their safety as the other cars were moving in and out of the parking spaces nearby.  I regained their attention and reminded them that they promised me to apply the buddy system to keep safe.  All was well...

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